Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Hayes, is seeking views from the public to help him in developing a menu of Community Remedy sanctions for low level crimes.
The introduction of Community Remedy (Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014), introduced by HM Government, is designed to provide more effective measures to deal with lower level crimes through out of court settlements.
This places victims at the heart of the criminal justice system as it gives them a say in the punishment of the offender.
Working closely with victims and the police, the aim of Community Remedy is to administer fair punishments in an open and transparent manner, delivering more rapid justice for the victim, with the offender facing immediate consequences for their actions.
Speaking about Community Remedy, Simon Hayes said: “It is my responsibility to consult with the public on what punishments should be used for out of court disposals. I therefore invite the public to share their views with me through this survey.
“This new Government legislation fits well with my Police and Crime Plan, where I pledged to address the impact of anti-social behaviour within our communities by working in partnership to reduce it. Under Community Remedy and with the public’s feedback, I will develop with the Chief Constable; a Community Remedy menu that is victim focused and reflects the wishes of local people, that is practical, effective and appropriate.”
Community Remedy will only be used for first time offenders when low level crimes can be better dealt with out of court, either as part of an informal community resolution, or with a more formal conditional police caution.
This approach will only be used when the victim is in full agreement for low-level crimes like criminal damage, low value theft, minor assaults (without injury) and anti-social behaviour. Police officers will then invite the victim to choose an appropriate sanction from the Community Remedy menu. Once this has been agreed, the offender will be given the option to either accept that punishment, or face the more formal police action for the offence they had committed.
What goes on the Community Remedy menu in a specific area will depend on the results of the survey. The public consultation will run online on the Commissioner’s website: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/79VL3XNcommunityremedy which will run until Sunday, September 14.
For those members of the public who do not have access to a computer, hard copies of the survey are available upon request from the Commissioner’s office by telephoning 01962 871595.
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